Topic: Cognitive Processes

Sub-topic: Problem Solving and Creativity

I. Introduction
Edward Paul Torrance - Known as the "Father of Creativity" for his nearly 60
years of research that became the framework for the field of gifted education. He was
professor emeritus of educational psychology and he invented the benchmark method
for quantifying creativity. The "Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking" helped shatter the
theory that IQ tests alone were sufficient to gauge real intelligence. The tests solidified
what heretofore was only conceptual - namely that creative levels can be scaled and
then increased through practice.

II. Body of the report

Torrance Framework for Creative Thinking (1979)

Fluency - refers to the production of a great number of ideas or alternate

solutions to a problem. Fluency implies understanding, not just remembering
information that is learned.

Key words: compare, convert, count, define, describe, explain, identify, label, list,
match, name, outline, paraphrase, predict, summarize.

Application activities:

o Trace a picture and label its parts.

o Outline an article you find on your topic.

o How many uses can you think of a clothes hanger?

o List 15 things that are commonly red or contain

Example: Apple, blood, brick, caboose, cherry, Christmas stocking, exit sign, fire alarm,
flag, heart, red nose reindeer, rose, tomato
 Flexibility - refers to the production of ideas that show a variety of possibilities or
realms of thought. It involves the ability to see things from different points of view, to
use many different approaches or strategies.

Key words: Change, demonstrate, distinguish, employ, extrapolate, interpolate,

interpret, predict.

Application ideas

o What would happen if ... there were no automobiles 

o How would a ... dog look to a flea?

o How is _______ like ________? 

o How would you feel if ... you were invisible for a day?

o How would you group the ideas about "red" into categories?

Example: fruit, safety features, vehicles

Once categories are identified, fluency may be further demonstrated by generating

more ideas about the idea red within categories. Even a modest attempt could result in
the following lists, recognizing that the creative thinking process may shift the mind in a
spiral way between all four aspects of creativity.

Red Fruit Red Safety Features Red Vehicles

Apple Exit sign caboose

cherry Fire alarm Fire truck

Raspberry Stop sign Tricycle

tomato Tail lights Wagon

 Elaboration - is the process of enhancing ideas by providing more detail.
Additional detail and clarity improves interest in, and understanding of, the topic.

Keywords: Appraise, critique, determine, evaluate, grade, judge, measure, select, test.

Application activities:

o Tell your neighbor about your last family trip using as many detail as possible.

o What can you add to_______ to improve its quality or performance?

o Describe all the possible characteristics of the red quality in a wagon

Example: Shade, finish, texture, uniformity.

Originality - involves the production of ideas that are unique or unusual. It

involves synthesis or putting information about a topic back together in a new way.

Keywords: Compose, create, design, generate, integrate, modify, rearrange,

reconstruct, reorganize, revise.

Application activities:

o Find an original use for_________. 

o What would be the strangest way to get out of bed?

o Design a new___________ that is better than the one you have.

Write an unusual title for the ideas about red

Example: Revolutionary "Red" Representation.

Creative Problem Solving

Is an intentional process for solving and problems and discussing

opportunities, It espouses the use of creativity in the 1950’s. Alex Osborn described
this process in his book, applied Imagination. Osborn opened the process in the public
domain which means anyone can use it. Over the years countless people have utilized
the CPS in various fields and endeavors. Osborn’s Checklist, the origin of the Classical
Brainstorming is the root of creative problem solving (CPS). There are variety of general
structures: define problem, generate possible solutions, select and implement the best,
which can be found extensively, in several different academic tradition.

The following, based on Van Gundy (1988’s) description, is a very brief

skeleton of a very rich process, showing it in its full ‘6 x 2’ stages form:

Stage 1: Mess Finding: Sensitise yourself (scan, search) for issues (concerns,
challenges, opportunities etc.) that need to be tackled. 

 Divergent techniques include ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice If…’ (WIBNI) and ‘Wouldn’t It

Be Awful If…’ (WIBAI) – brainstorming to identify desirable outcomes, and
obstacles to be overcome.
  Convergent techniques include the identification of hotspots (Highlighting),
expressed as a list of IWWMs (‘In What Ways Might…’), and selection in terms of
ownership criteria (e.g. problem-owner’s motivation and ability to influence it)
and outlook criteria (e.g. urgency, familiarity, stability).

Stage 2: Data Finding: Gather information about the problem

 Divergent techniques include Five Ws and H (Who, Why, What, When,

Where and How) and listing of wants, sources and data: List all your information ‘wants’
as a series of question; for each, list possible sources of answers; then follow these up
and for each source, list what you found.

 Convergent techniques include identifying hotspots (Highlighting);

Mind-mapping to sort and classify the information gathered; and also restating the
problem in the light of your richer understanding of it.
Stage 3: Problem Finding: convert a fuzzy statement of the problem into a broad
statement more suitable for idea finding.

 Divergent techniques include asking ‘Why? etc. – the repeatable questions and
Five Ws and H.
 Convergent techniques include Highlighting again, reformulation of problem-
statements to meet the criteria that they contain only one problem and no
criteria, and selection of the most promising statement (but NB that the mental
‘stretching’ that the activity gives to the participants can be as important as the
actual statement chosen).

Stage 4: Idea Finding: generate as many ideas as possible

 Divergent using any of a very wide range of idea-generating techniques. The

general rules of classical brainstorming (such as deferring judgement) are likely
to under-pin all of these. 
 Convergent can again involve hotspots or mind- mapping, the combining of
different ideas, and the short-listing of the most promising handful, perhaps with
some thought for the more obvious evaluation criteria, but not over-restrictively

Stage 5: Solution Finding  

 Generate and select obvious evaluation criteria (using an expansion/contraction

cycle) and develop (which may include combining) the short-listed ideas from
Idea Finding as much as you can in the light of these criteria. Then opt for the
best of these improved ideas (e.g. using Comparison tables).

Stage 6: Acceptance Finding  

 How can the suggestion you have just selected be made up to standard and put
into practice? Shun negativity, and continue to apply deferred judgement –
problem are exposed to be solved, not to dishearten progress.
Other model for Problem Solving

Bransford’s IDEAL Model

1.) Identify the problem.

2.) Define the problem through thinking about it and sorting out the relevant information.

3.) Explore solution through looking at alternatives, brainstorming, and checking out different
points of view.

4.) Act on the strategies.

5.) Look back and evaluate the effects of your activity